Springfield Memorial Hospital, in partnership with the Memorial Wellness Center, recently received prestigious national recognition for excellence in weight loss surgery.
Memorial provides bariatric surgery services via a long-standing collaboration between Memorial Wellness Center, SMH and SIU Medicine surgeons Dr. Adam Reid and Dr. James Feimster.
With the triple accreditation from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, SMH is recognized as a Surgical Quality Partner for excellence and positive patient outcomes for both adults and adolescents. Memorial was also recognized by the ACS for excellence in obesity medicine, which includes the non-surgical weight loss programs offered by Memorial Wellness Center.
“It’s rare for programs to be recognized in three areas: adult care, adolescent care and obesity medicine,” said Dr. Nicole Florence, medical director of the Memorial Wellness Center. “This is a reflection of the great care we provide to patients before, during and after their procedures, as well as our overall approach to weight loss and wellness.”
The bariatric program has also been repeatedly recognized as a Blue Distinction Center by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for expertise and safe, quality care.
Memorial Wellness Center offers both surgical and non-surgical weight loss programs in addition to nutrition counseling, healthy cooking classes and other services. In addition to the Springfield location at 320 E. Carpenter St., the Wellness Center has locations at Decatur Memorial Hospital and Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.
“GLP-1 medications are seen as a game-changer for weight loss, and for many people, they can be,” said Dr. Florence. “But bariatric surgery continues to be the best option for some patients, based on their health status and long-term goals. We’re proud to be able to support people no matter what type of wellness journey they’re on.”
Bariatric surgery patients benefit from a team at the Wellness Center that includes a medical provider, dietitian, physical therapist and a behavioral health professional, as well as close consultation with the surgeon.
“Our program is so successful because it’s personalized for each patient’s individual needs and lifestyle,” said Andrea Hinton Bond, a nurse practitioner at Memorial Wellness Center. Bond was a bariatric surgery patient at the Wellness Center before joining the team at its Decatur location in 2025.
She attributes her long-term, 150-pound weight loss to that personalized approach. Today, she uses her experience to provide guidance and support to patients on the same journey.
“I tell them at their first visit, ‘Just so you know, I’ve been through this too,’” she said. “It’s rewarding to help our patients in the same way that my team helped me.”